A retired Savannah police corporal was arrested on charges that he molested three girls and raped a fourth.

Eugene Miller, 71, was being held without bail at the Chatham County jail Tuesday night on six counts of child molestation, four counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes and one count of rape.

The Chatham County Sheriff's Department arrested Miller around 5 p.m. Friday at his Sherman Avenue home on a warrant, said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tommy Tillman.

A Chatham County grand jury indicted Miller on the 11 charges Dec. 20.

Miller retired from the former Savannah Police Department on Jan. 31, 2000, holding the rank of corporal after 31 years of service, according to the city's Human Resources Department.

Less than a year later, Garden City Police received a report alleging Miller was molesting a young girl at a Garden City apartment complex, Police Chief David Lyons said.

Investigators found Miller had solicited the girl into his black Chevrolet pickup truck and then fondled her breasts, according to the indictment.

"We were unable to get an indictment at that time. But then, the District Attorney's office received reports he was involved in the same activity again," Lyons said. "There was a pattern of this behavior."

In July 2006, the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department received a report that Miller molested a child in Tatemville, police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson said.

Detectives later learned of two other victims.

On June 11, 2006, Miller allegedly solicited another girl into his pickup, forced her to undress and raped her, according to the indictment.

He also is charged with molesting two other girls in October 2005, May 2006 and July 2006, according to the indictment.

The ages of the victims were unavailable, but police said the suspect was acquainted with them.

"He knew all of the victims," Wilson said. "Most victims of child molesters are not strangers. They are typically relatives or people known to the suspect's family."

On Dec. 13, SCMPD officers served a search warrant at Miller's Sherman Avenue home. However, Miller refused to allow officers into part of his home, Wilson said. Police arrested Miller on failure to comply with a search warrant.

He was released on a $390 bond, Tillman said. A week later, the grand jury indicted Miller. However, the warrant was not sent to the sheriff's department until Friday, Tillman said.

SCMPD on Tuesday did not release police reports on the incidents. Police Chief Michael Berkow was waiting for a ruling from the city attorney to see if the reports could be made public, Wilson said.

"The case is in the hands of the District Attorney's Office. Our investigation has been completed and forwarded to them," he said.